1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a nanochannel device, and particularly to a nanochannel device comprising a nanochannel or array of nanochannels with controlled nanochannel size, width, and length. The present invention further relates to a method for manufacturing said nanochannel device. The method can, for example, be used or integrated in high throughput and low cost manufacturing such as the ultra-large scale integration semiconductor manufacturing.
2. Background of the Invention
Manipulating matter at the nanometer scale is important for many electronic, chemical and biological advanced applications, but present solid-state fabrication methods do not reproducibly achieve dimensional control at the nanometer scale.
For example, nanochannels or nanopores with pore width or channel width of less than 10 nm are of great interest in single molecule or DNA separation and detection.
High throughput, low cost and precise diameter and length control are needed in bioMEMS, biochips and biosensors. In addition, easy integration approach for nanochannel fabrication with device processing is required.
Conventional approaches for forming nanochannels are e-beam lithography and ion-beam sculpting, both known to be expensive and highly complex.
Alternatively, a sequence of oxidation and CMP is a well established technique, with a high process complexity, capable to fabricate pores with large diameter.
Depositing a non-conformal PECVD film is also a well established process suitable for forming pores having a large diameter, but having unfortunately process control issues and requiring thermal treatments upon deposition.
These conventional approaches are either expensive or they show poor control over the size, such as width and length, and uniformity of nanochannel. Some conventional fabrication approaches are not integration friendly, either.